Avengers: Doomsday to Secret Wars: The Comic Roadmap

Which comics lead from Avengers: Doomsday to Secret Wars?

The usual answer is Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers and New Avengers (2012 to 2015), which invent “incursions” (colliding universes), and his Secret Wars (2015) with artist Esad Ribić, where the multiverse ends and Doctor Doom builds Battleworld. Marvel hasn’t published a plot, so treat this as a likely map, not a confirmed one.

Spoiler note: this covers plot points from Marvel comics published years ago. It has no film spoilers.

Quick facts

Item	Detail	Status
Doomsday release	December 18, 2026	Confirmed
Secret Wars release	December 17, 2027	Confirmed (Marvel Studios)
Source comics	Hickman’s Avengers run and Secret Wars (2015)	Reported (Nerdist, Bleeding Cool)
Marvel’s film plot	Not published	Unconfirmed
Secret Wars timing	Production reportedly moving to early 2027	Reported (ComicBookMovie.com)

What are incursions in the comics?

They’re the central threat of Hickman’s run. Two universes collide, and one must be destroyed or both die. Black Panther is the first to witness one, in Wakanda. The Illuminati decide to destroy other Earths to save their own, and Tony Stark has Doctor Strange mind-wipe Steve Rogers so he won’t stop them. Hickman later reveals the Beyonders were behind the incursions. They used Molecule Men to trigger them.

Marvel’s logline for Doomsday says heroes from three universes are on a collision course. That’s the closest official echo of the idea, and it’s why people connect the film to this run. It isn’t confirmation.

What happens in Time Runs Out and Secret Wars (2015)?

Time Runs Out is the final stretch of Hickman’s Avengers and New Avengers, and it leads straight into Secret Wars (2015). There the multiverse is destroyed, and Doctor Doom, with the Beyonders’ power, creates Battleworld, a planet made of pieces of different realities, and rules it as God Emperor Doom. Reports say the Russos wrote the foreword to Marvel’s Premier Collection edition of Time Runs Out.

Which comics should I read, and in what order?

Order	Comic	Why
1	Hickman’s Avengers and New Avengers (2012 to 2015)	Where incursions begin
2	Avengers: Time Runs Out (collected)	The final run-up to the end
3	Secret Wars (2015), Hickman and Ribić	Battleworld and God Emperor Doom
4	Secret Wars (1984), optional	The Beyonder and Doom’s first power grab
5	The new Incursions one-shots	Marvel’s five tie-in books; X-Men: Incursions #1 arrives November 18, 2026 (Alex Paknadel, Jim Towe)

What might the Avengers films borrow from Secret Wars?

Speculation: Doomsday plays the incursion role, with Doom as the villain who benefits, and Secret Wars gets Battleworld. If that’s right, the Doom power-grab story from our Doctor Doom complete guide is the one to know. But Marvel hasn’t said any of it, and the MCU has changed Hickman-era ideas before.

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Is Avengers: Secret Wars still on track for December 2027?

Marvel lists December 17, 2027, but ComicBookMovie.com reported on October 1 that production is expected to start in January 2027, which raised concerns about a slip into 2028. Reported, not confirmed.

Doomsday and Secret Wars comics FAQ

Is Doomsday based on a comic? Marvel hasn’t said. Several outlets say Hickman’s run is the likely source.

Do I need to read the 1984 Secret Wars? No. It’s optional background.

Where does Doctor Doom fit? He wins Battleworld in Secret Wars (2015)

Updated October 23, 2026